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Aide's cause of death still not released
By AMBER BOLLMAN, Daily News Staff Writer - Jul 27, 2001
Repeated attempts Thursday to contact Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Michael
Berkland about the death of Lori Klausutis were unsuccessful.
Six days after the 28-year-old aide to U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough was found dead
inside the congressman's Fort Walton Beach office, local police are still
waiting to learn how and why Klausutis died.
"We are waiting on a report from the medical examiner," said Fort Walton Beach
Police Chief Steve Hogue.
Berkland said last Saturday that he would likely be able to announce the cause
of Klausutis' death by Wednesday, after receiving the results of blood
toxicology tests.
But Berkland was out of town for a conference on Wednesday. On Thursday, even
though assistants in Berkland's Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola offices said he
had returned to the area, Berkland did not return repeated telephone calls.
Secretaries at both offices said he had checked in for his messages.
Klausutis, of Niceville, was found dead about 8 a.m. last Friday when a couple
arrived at Scarborough's office for an appointment.
Police found no evidence of foul play or robbery at the scene, and Berkland said
Saturday that he had ruled out homicide as the cause of Klausutis' death.
Berkland, who planned to review toxicology reports and medical records before
announcing the cause of Klausutis' death, said she had likely died in the office
sometime Thursday afternoon or evening.
Klausutis was buried Wednesday in Niceville.
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